


Asking for a friend

by EvancexLizzie



Series: 2020 Dimilix Week [3]
Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Day 3, Dimilix Week (Fire Emblem), Fluff, Jealousy, Kissing, M/M, Misunderstandings, Mostly funny, Prompt : Courting, Unreliable Narrator, courting, felix POV, i wish Felix and Claude had support together lmfao, slight angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-16
Updated: 2020-02-16
Packaged: 2021-02-28 01:13:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,209
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22755313
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EvancexLizzie/pseuds/EvancexLizzie
Summary: 2020 Dimilix week, Day 3 : Courting"Felix, dude, I get it." By the way Sylvain was speaking, he must have seen the same scene then Felix did. "We're used to our Dimitri being shy and not forthcoming, so it’s weird. But it's great if he can make new friends ya know. And it doesn't mean he ain't gonna spend time with us anymore, or like us less.""I don't like him.""Yeah Felix, ya always say that." Felix thought he had just heard a deep sigh coming from Sylvain. "But if you don't like him -and I believe ya, for all the times you've said it-, I don't think ya have the right to be angry at him for reaching out towards new pe-""I don't like him." Felix interrupted, between his teeth. "Claude.""Oh."
Relationships: Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd/Felix Hugo Fraldarius
Series: 2020 Dimilix Week [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1633060
Kudos: 43





	Asking for a friend

**Author's Note:**

> this is one of the funniest thing ive ever written
> 
> they're both dumb and in love
> 
> also im a sucker for dimiclaude (even if there's not any dimiclaude here, but just saying)

Felix was a man of contradictions. 

He said things he didn't think. He thought things he didn't say. He acted as if things didn't matter while they did.

He deliberately avoided confrontation while his blood often boiled in anger. 

He ate Annette's food which was barely edible but refused to ingurgitate far more delicious dishes, on the sole base that Sylvain has helped cooking them.

He liked Dimitri in secret, yet he pretended to hate him in front of everyone.

He pretended that Dimitri and Claude's friendship didn't affect him, while he could perfectly imagine himself snapping Claude's head against the nearest wall.

Felix certainly didn't have Dimitri's strength and his amazing ability to break things, but he was currently holding his pencil with so much force that it could shatter at any moment. It would surely cost a great deal of trouble, as the cracking sound resulting from the act would make anyone in the quiet but lively common room turn around and wonder about the sudden burst of rage emanating from him.

But Felix couldn't care less. He's utterly oblivious to his surroundings anyway, his eyes fixated on the two people standing on the right side of the large entrance of the room.

Dimitri had been leaning against the large wooden pillar for a while now. He had one hand on his pockets, while the other was running through his neat hair. By the way he looked at the other person and the way his smile was curving upwards all the way to his cheekbones, the conversation and the company were certainly enjoyable.

And it would have been totally fine, Felix thought, as the hand not holding the pencil clenched into a tight fist, if the other person has been a girl because Felix had nothing to fear from silly girls who were trying to gain their way through Mister Prince Charming's heart -well, not that he had anything to fear from anyone in the first place-.

But he didn't feel so comfortable when Dimitri was engaging in such lively conversations with another boy. 

And certainly even less comfortable when the other boy was no one else but the well-known provocative, flirtatious and mischievous Claude von Riegan.

The Golden Deer house leader had one of his shoulders leaned against the pillar, close to Dimitri, and his arms folded against his chest. Since they had arrived at the entrance, he's been giving the Prince his foremost attention, as he seemed so eager to laugh at everything the latter was saying, so much that Felix could sometimes catch sounds of that very annoying chuckle. His verdant eyes seemed pretty fixated on Dimitri's face, and Felix was trying hard to distinguish whether they attempted to look slightly below, or not.

Felix's pen broke.

"Felix, I swear, ugh, you need to stop that, man."

Sylvain was setting on the other side of the table, facing Felix. They were supposedly doing their homework, but Felix had spent all his time fixing the two house leaders enjoying each other’s company, and Sylvain had had no other choice but to follow his gaze. He didn't want to do his homework, anyway.

"I need to stop doing what."

"Stabbing them with your eyes, it’s pretty frightening to watch you do that. Also, you're gonna end up with a stiff neck."

"I'm not." 

Felix didn't know if he was answering the first or second statement, but he pretty much didn't care. He kept looking towards the entrance, as Claude has just stated something apparently hilarious, considering Dimitri was having one of those breathless laughs, with the back of his hand politely coming to rest against his mouth.

Felix's chest tightened. Dimitri wasn't supposed to laugh so heartedly with anyone else but them. But him.

"Felix, dude, I get it." By the way Sylvain was speaking, he must have seen the same scene then Felix did. "We're used to our Dimitri being shy and not forthcoming, so it’s weird. But it's great if he can make new friends ya know. And it doesn't mean he ain't gonna spend time with us anymore, or like us less."

"I don't like him."

"Yeah Felix, ya always say that." Felix thought he had just heard a deep sigh coming from Sylvain. "But if you don't like him -and I believe ya, for all the times you've said it-, I don't think ya have the right to be angry at him for reaching out towards new pe-"

"I don't like him." Felix interrupted, between his teeth. "Claude."

"Oh."

There was a short silence. Felix’s gaze kept wandering between Claude, who was drawing closer to the other boy’s as they were talking, and Dimitri, whose gaze never left the brown-haired guy face.

“Why are you saying that? The guy sure looks like a nice fella.”

People thought that Felix didn’t need reasons to dislike people. True be told, Felix had a huge tendency to not care about people. It wasn’t that he disliked them, but he just didn’t care because those never even caught his attention in the first place. As such, hearing Felix say so openly that he disked someone, and that this someone wasn’t Dimitri, was kind of something unusual for Sylvain. 

Felix merely grunted. “He’s fucking too engaging, thinking he can be friends with everyone just by talking to them once and invading their personal space. All gentle smile and smooth talk, dismissing annoying stuff with the back of his hand as if nothing could ever bother him.”

“Yeah, I believe that’s called being... nice to people. Nothing wrong here.”

“And he’s disrespectful. Not calling his conversation partners by their official title.”

“Sorry, when was the last time you called Dimitri by his official title?”

Felix rolled his eyes towards the sky, before eyeing Sylvain with the same death glare he had been giving to the two House leaders for the last fifteen minutes. Or more, he couldn’t recall how much time had already passed. 

“We’re childhood fr- we’ve known each other for years. It’s not the same thing.”

“Ah yeah, you’re totally right Felix, not the same thing at all.”

Felix could sense the barely hidden sarcastic tone behind Sylvain’s words, but he decided not to argue further on the subject. He didn’t plan on wasting any more breath on discussing a topic on which Sylvain had no prior knowledge. 

Claude had now one hand playing with the little braid falling from his hair, while the other rested on his hip, in a far too languish manner for it to be natural. Everything in his body language screamed provocation, as his eyes were still tenderly looking at Dimitri from under his long dark eyelashes. 

Felix’s frown had deepened so much over the last minutes that it would certainly aggravate the apparent state of his forehead wrinkles for the next few weeks at least.

“Felix, I get that you’re fed up ‘bout this. I really do, I miss Dimitri ‘s much as ya do.” Felix’s teeth clenched hearing Sylvain speak. He absolutely didn’t need someone talking to him right now, and certainly not someone who couldn’t possibly understand. “But, please, could you stop giving off such a deathly aura? I feel like it’s sticking on me and I’ve a date later with this nice chick fr-”

Sylvain didn’t have time to finish, as Felix abruptly stood up from the bench, with so much outrage it managed to make some noise, gathering the attention of several students around, Dimitri included. For the first time in what felt like an eternity, he dared to detach his gaze from Claude to turn his head towards Felix, a mix of curiosity and concern on his face. Watching him doing so, Claude followed his stare as well.

But Felix had none of it. He was feeling beyond irritated, having had to witness the boy he had a crush on -that he thought was reciprocated- ostentatiously flirt with another one, under his very own eyes. He stared at Dimitri with all the anger and resentment possible, watching the blonde-haired student open his mouth as if he was on the verge of saying something.

Felix didn’t wait though. He turned around, showing his back to Dimitri, and paced promptly through the common room, ignoring the curious stares and the muffled whispers on his way out.

Once outside, he allowed himself a long, sorrowful sigh. His heart was still pounding too fast, heavy and aching, while his chest was painfully constricted. Felix took a moment to rest against the wall, on the large and almost empty corridor of the Monastery. He fully knew that no one was going to look after him. Sylvain and Dimitri knew better than to undertake such a foolish action. Since they were kids, each time Felix had bailed out to cry, they hadn’t followed and, peacefully waiting for him to calm down and come back.

Moreover, it wouldn’t make any sense for Dimitri to run after Felix. They practically hadn’t talked since the... incident. And it looked like he had found a better way to spend his days, with another one.

Felix sighed, once again. He sure didn’t expect it to hurt that much.

  
  


**Te** **n days earlier**

“Felix, a-are you sure about this?”

“Yes. Are you hesitating?”

“N-No, no. I want to.”

Felix nodded, scrutinizing Dimitri’s face to make sure he wasn’t saying that only to please him. But it was hard to read Dimitri’s expression, considering on one side the amount of blush covering his cheekbones, going up until his ears, and on the other side his trembling lips. Was it out of shyness? Of expectation? Of fear? 

Felix didn’t want to feel too insistent by asking once again if Dimitri was fine going along. He felt that Dimitri would think Felix wasn’t the one ready for it, while he’s been looking forward to it for some time now. It wasn’t that he was growing tired of holdings hands, sweet cuddling or quick peaks of each other’s cheeks, but, well, he was indeed a seventeen-year-old boy with hormones and expectations.

Still, he had done his best to not let Dimitri feel pressured of doing anything he wasn’t comfortable with. He still had his right hand in case of need, and would rather chop off his own dick than forcing Dimitri into something as soft as kissing.

“O-Ok. So, how do we proceed?”

They were laying close to each other on Dimitri’s small cramped bed, with only candles to illuminate their faces and bodies, as the sun had set out for hours now. They had been cuddling and hugging each other’s waists for the last ten minutes. To be honest, Felix was afraid of falling from the bed and ending on the cold floor if he dared move too abruptly. He wondered how Dimitri, with his broad shoulders, could even fit in it.

Felix could tell that Dimitri was feeling pretty anxious about the whole thing. His eyes glittered with apprehension and each of his hazardous movements beamed nervousness. The blue-haired student couldn’t help but take a fond look at the other boy, considering he was the one provoking all those physical reactions.

Felix exhaled slowly before reaching for Dimitri’s face with his hands, cupping his cheek in an affectionate gesture. As he was gently stroking the Prince’s skin, whose skin shivered under the careful touch, he brought his head closer, and closer, until their lips were only inches apart. Felix’s gaze flickered towards Dimitri’s red, delicate, slightly opened lips, as his hand left his cheek to come rest at the crest of the other student’s neck, his fingers tightly gripping onto the skin. He felt Dimitri’s body shift a little, as the arm that was wrapped around his waist tightened his hold. 

During a brief moment, Felix wondered if he needed to wait for a signal from Dimitri, a nod or a whisper, something that would tell him to go on. However, he didn’t have time to ask about it, as Dimitri was the one to close the gap between their mouths.

The first contact of their lips pressed together felt soft and innocent, two pieces of flesh brushing hesitantly, not daring to move for an inch. It was still electrifying enough for Felix’s body, as rampant shivers crawled on his skin and rational thoughts left his mind. It was his first kiss, it was  _ their  _ first kiss, and he had dreamed about it for weeks, likely months. He could feel Dimitri’s body pressed against his, slightly shaking, and he heard him hum into the innocent kiss.

They briefly pulled apart, and Felix’s eyes wavered, taking a look at Dimitri’s face. Yet he didn’t find time to witness the blond-haired boy’s expression, as the latter leaned once again, more eagerly, to steal another kiss. This one felt less innocent, rawer, and Felix could feel his body stiffen. He slightly opened his lips, getting his tongue out to tease the other boy, only to find out that he had already done the same. 

They shared a long, open-mouthed hungry kiss, then another, and another. To Felix, it suddenly felt as if their minds weren’t the ones dictating their bodies anymore. They were desperately craving for each other’s touch, their hands fumbling on the other’s clothes until they decided it wasn’t enough and went under their respective shirts, seeking new territories of bare skin to enjoy.

Dimitri was eager and raw, and to Felix’s surprise, the one dominating their exchanges. His movements were clumsy and tainted by inexperience -well, Felix didn’t have anyone to compare him to anyway-, yet the usual shyness and nervousness that went with the notion of physical proximity seemed to have vanished away, along with his coyness. 

At some point, Dimitri’s teeth started to nudge at Felix’s bottom lip. The gesture surprised the shorter boy, as a strong shiver of excitation ran through his body. He was starting to feel some discomfort at the bulge of his tight pants. He tried to not mind it, as he knew that they certainly weren’t going to take it this far tonight, when Dimitri shifted his position, climbing on Felix, hands positioned at each side of the latter’s head, before resuming his hungry kisses. The blue-haired student wrapped his hands around the Prince’s waist. 

In this new position, Dimitri’s inner thigh was frenetically brushing against Felix’s nascent erection, which was as exciting as it was embarrassing. As they were breaking for another kiss, the two of them loudly panting as their lungs were starting to scream for more air, Felix anchored his gaze in the Prince’s cerulean eyes, only to find a dark glim of hunger and need that wasn’t there before. 

“Is everything good?” Felix certainly hadn’t expected to get in a position where he was pinned by Dimitri, but he couldn’t say he didn’t appreciate it.

“Yes, I am fine.” Dimitri breathless laughed at his own choice of words, and the curve of his lips perfectly highlighted the dark blush on his cheekbones. He was beautiful. “More than fine, actually.” 

“Good.” That was all Felix could manage to get out of his tightened throat. He wanted nothing more than to scream at Dimitri how beautiful he looked, and how well he was doing, but something in his mind prevented him to talk.

He didn’t have to think about it anymore as Dimitri leaned to kiss him anew. 

Dimitri’s gestures started to feel more erratic and pressing. Felix could feel the overwhelming strength of the other boy while his hands were tightly gripping on the sides of his waist, wondering if the fingerprints would still be engraved in his skin the morning after. Honestly, it did hurt, but it was nothing unbearable -he even found it quite likable-, and Felix certainly didn’t want Dimitri to find out he could bruise him like this. As such, he preferred to stay silent and enjoy the needy kisses that were being left off along his jaw and his neck. 

However, Felix’s concern grew more when he felt Dimitri’s hand toying with the hem of his pants. 

He caught his wrist to prevent him from moving further, earning him a curious look from the blonde-haired boy.

“Dimitri, it’s ok. You don’t have to do this.” 

“But I want to.” Dimitri’s hand stayed still, but his mouth went on with trailing slow kisses along the other boy’s jaw. “I want to make you feel good.”

Felix wondered how Dimitri could ignore how good he already felt thanks to his ministrations. He was a flushed, breathless and well-kissed mess, with his untangled hair and his shirt half unbuttoned. His condition was already the result of Dimitri’s work.

“It’s ok, really.” Felix certainly didn’t miss Dimitri’s disappointed look, and something in his chest tightened. 

“Are you certain of it?” His hand left the button of his pants to trail down a little further, brushing against Felix’s visible bulge. “I know I do not have any prior experience, but I can still try-”

“Dimitri, I said no.” 

It felt too forced, too sudden, and Felix didn’t feel prepared enough for this. He didn’t doubt, by Dimitri’s eagerness and excitement, that he wanted to give it a try. Yet, for the moment, Felix found the idea of kisses and cuddles far more appealing. 

Dimitri didn’t insist further, retracting his hand. However, the feverish atmosphere that had filled the bedroom instantly crumbled, and an awkward and unpleasant silence took place.

Felix tried to make eye-contact with Dimitri, as he felt the situation quickly deteriorating, but the blonde-haired boy’s fleeting look was impossible to catch. As such, the shorter student could only watch the hurt expression visible on the other’s face. A pounding, heavy unhappiness erupted in his chest.

“Ok, how to call it a night then.” It wasn’t a question. Felix sat on the bed, getting his shirt buttoned again and waiting for Dimitri to get off him so he could leave.

Dimitri gave him a troubled look and gently fell aside. Felix couldn’t help but catch the distress visible on the Prince’s face, all trace of hunger or lust gone. But he didn’t know what to do about it, as he frankly didn’t get why Dimitri seemed so annoyed all of a sudden.

As Felix got off the bed, Dimitri finally spoke.

“D-Did I do something wrong?”

Felix turned around to look at him, his eyebrows furrowed due to the confusion he felt hearing the question. 

“What do you mean? No, you didn’t do anything wrong.”

“Then, why do you behave as if you were in a hurry to leave?”

“I’m not leaving in a hurry, Dimitri-” That wasn’t totally true, but Felix couldn’t explain why he felt so uncomfortable all of a sudden. “I’m tired.”

“...You’re tired.” Dimitri didn’t seem the least convinced by the argument. “You did not seem that tired earlier.”

“That’s the point in being tired. It happens at some point.” The tone felt more sarcastic and harsh than intended, but nothing unusual from Felix’s point of view.

Dimitri went silent and Felix examined him for a few seconds. He seemed actually far more depressed and hurt than annoyed or angry, which made Felix wonder what had caused this sudden change of emotion. They had just spent some great time together, and it went fine, more than fine in his opinion. So, why the gloomy face and the lowered head? From where did all this nervousness abruptly come?

“I’m going to head back to my room.” No answer, not even a look. Felix did feel tired now. He certainly wasn’t prepared for a night of dealing out with Dimitri’s anxiety. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Dimitri raised his head a little and nodded. “Good night.” He had a small smile on his lips, the kind of smile Felix hated to see on his face because he knew how forced and polite it was.

Pounding, unhappy heaviness rolled up in a whirlpool in his stomach, seeing his smile addressed to him. He didn’t understand what he had done to deserve such a smile.

Felix huffed, turned around and got out of the bedroom without saying good night.

After a restless night of spinning in his bed and getting multiple times through the memories of the evening, Felix decided he needed to make sure Dimitri understood he had done nothing wrong. Sure, he was feeling a little regretful, having used tiredness as an excuse to get away from the cumbersome atmosphere instead of simply explaining thoroughly to Dimitri why he didn’t feel like he needed a handjob. 

But well, Felix didn’t like to  _ talk _ . It often involved expressing his feelings. What a dreadful thought.

They didn’t have class in the morning but strangely enough, Dimitri wasn’t in their common room. Felix searched for him inside the Monastery, going through the cathedral and the gardens still without any success. 

He was starting to get worried, not used to the Prince missing like this when a saffron clothing near a pillar across the small garden that took place between two buildings caught his attention. Felix slew down in his tracks, wondering why a student of the Golden Deer House was alone, practically hiding behind a pillar when he realized that the student wasn’t alone. Dimitri, wearing his usual uniform, was facing the student and talking to him.

Felix should have come forward and at least made his presence known. He thought about it, but as he was ready to take another step, the mysterious student that had certainly been leaning against the pillar came closer to Dimitri, enabling the blue-haired student to discover his identity. 

Claude von Riegan, leader of the Golden Deer House.

Well, Felix knew that the House leaders sometimes met to talk about various subjects, so it didn’t surprise him that much. However, several things seemed to show that this encounter wasn’t just a normal and friendly conversation between them. Firstly, Edelgard wasn’t there. Secondly, they had chosen the most secluded place of all Garreg Mach Monastery to talk. And thirdly, Dimitri’s blush and awkwardness were so visible that Felix could witness it from where he was standing.

Claude was showing his back to Dimitri, so Felix couldn’t see his expression. He had one hand resting against his hip while the other was making grand gestures into the air, to support his speech. Dimitri seemed to be cautiously listening, eagerly nodding to what the brown-haired boy was saying. 

After a few minutes of studying the two of them, and watching them talk -even if Claude was doing most of the talking- without managing to guess the topic, Felix decided to head back to the common room. 

He tried not to think too much of it, dismissing intrusive thoughts he easily recognized as pure jealousy. Dimitri had the right to talk to people Felix wasn’t acquainted with, and to befriend them. They weren’t even dating to begin with -well at least they had never talked about it-, so there was absolutely no reason for Felix to feel possessive. Sure, they had a thing and the blue-haired boy considered them as exclusive, but that was mostly because he couldn’t imagine Dimitri do this kind of thing with another person. 

Anyway, he and Claude had just been _ talking _ . Why was he starting to imagine weirder stuff? When he got back, Dimitri would certainly tell him about his encounter with the other leader, and it would definitely close the topic.

However, when he did get back, Dimitri didn’t talk about it at all. Worst, he lied when Sylvain asked him about his whereabouts, pretending he had to see Professor Hanneman, to discuss his crest. Dimitri wasn’t a pretty good liar, he as far too virtuous for that, but no one pointed it out, certainly guessing that he had had some private stuff to attend to. Well, Sylvain did try to start a joke about how Dimitri had finally accepted to date girls, but Ingrid quickly cut him off by changing topics.

After this, Felix gave up on the idea to talk with Dimitri about what had happened.

It mostly wasn’t the fault of any of them. They were busy with classes, sparring and missions, and hardly had any time to talk. When evening came, everyone felt pretty exhausted and didn’t last long in the common room before heading to bed, Dimitri the first. It wasn’t anything uncommon. Also, he didn’t seem to avoid Felix. Sure, their stares didn’t meet as often as before -Dimitri always seemed to find Mercedes’s hair more interesting-, but they were still talking.

No one else would call that talking though, as Felix mostly answered with grunts and scoffs, but still.

Yet, Felix knew that Dimitri was frequently meeting with Claude. Once every two or three days, he would find a pretext to excuse himself from the common room, only to come back approximately one hour later. Felix didn’t need to follow him to know that -he loathed the idea of following Dimitri in secret-, as the troubled look on the blonde-haired boy’s face each time he came back was enough. Nobody in the Blue Lions house believed for one second in the pretexts he was giving, but they didn’t dare to say anything in front of him. Sylvain tried to ask Dedue about it, surprised that the Descurian wasn’t accompanying Dimitri to his little escapades. But he would only get a stern look in return, as well as a simple “his Highness has the right to have a private life.”

That answer had the ability to leave Felix’s heart aching.

* * *

  
  
As a result, Felix started avoiding Dimitri as well. As soon as the latter was entering the common room, Felix would gather his things and go outside to spar. If Dimitri were to show up at the training ground while Felix exercised, he would put away his sword and leave without a word for the Prince. It wasn’t as if the latter actively tried to engage in a conversation either, anyway. He looked nervous each time he crossed paths with the swordsman. The situation seemed perfectly fine as it was. 

Until it wasn’t.

It was a bright day at the Garreg Mach University, three weeks after the “incident” as Felix called it. The kind of day where students sought the sensation of sunbeams against their skin during their leisure time, strolling out of the Monastery and settling in the verdant grass to lively talk about the topic that had been occupying everyone’s mind for the last few days.

The Ball.

It was one of the most expected events of the year, as it mostly involved dancing, feasting, and  _ courting _ . 

All things that Felix loathed from the bottom of his heart. 

Unfortunately, student mandatory presence was apparently a thing, at least until a certain hour. He didn’t have any other choice than to attend, even though he already knew how stupid and uninteresting this evening was going to be. But that wasn’t the worst of it.

As the event certainly included a lot of dancing, students from the Garreg Mach Monastery had also to attend provisory dance classes. Felix had never witnessed something so utterly useless and annoying. As so, he spent all the way going to one of the spare rooms of the Monastery that had been cleaned for the purpose of the class pestering Sylvain about it, while the latter was trying to lift his spirits up.

“Felix, y’could see that as a great opportunity to find your date for the night?”

“I don’t fucking care about this stupid thing or whatever.” Felix’s mood had worsened lately. “It’s an utter waste of time. Don’t come crying later when they all die on the battlefield because they spent more time learning how to fucking turn on themselves then spar-”

“Ok, ok, we get it Felix. Forget I said anything.” 

When they entered the room, the class had already begun. Several students were in the center of the room, in pairs, while the rest of them formed a circle, attentively watching the Professor explain the basic movements and correct the duets that served as models. Felix’s look skimmed through the crowd, instinctively searching for a blonde-haired head against his better judgement. 

His eyes widened slightly when he finally found it. His heart clenched painfully when he realized who was standing along with him.

At the center of the room stood Dimitri and Claude. The blonde-haired boy had one of his hands resting on the other boy’s shoulder, while Claude’s hand was resting against Dimitri’s waist. Both of their other hands were joined together, in a position to begin the waltz. At the teacher’s start, all students started moving, their feet somewhat hesitant as they carefully followed the rhythm.

Even though they weren’t the only duet present, all looks were turned towards them and whispers were going among the crowd. “They look so good together!” “Are they dating?” “I heard that they were…” “Claude is so talented when it comes to dancing!” “Dimitri is so cute…”

Felix’s teeth clenched, his stare settled on Dimitri’s stiff form. He sure looked embarrassed, as he didn’t like being the center of attention. Still, Felix thought he was doing pretty fine for someone who wasn’t supposed to like physical contact with others. Claude was holding him as if he was born for this task only, a mischievous grin plastered on his too-annoying face as he seemed to whisper something in Dimitri’s ear. The latter’s lips slightly curved upwards. 

The sight was too much for Felix to bear, as the crease in his brow deepened in anger. Dimitri happened to turn his head towards them at the same time, taken by the movement, and seemed to notice their presence. A troubled look emerged on his face, his lips slightly opening, as his stare met Felix’s angry and pained expression.

Felix abruptly turned his feet towards the door and left the room, not caring once for the loud bang that resounded as a result of his forceful closing of the door.

He didn’t know where his feet were taking him. He just wanted to get out, to not have to bear any more of those painful sights while he couldn’t start to understand how Dimitri dared to torment him like this. He found trouble breathing, his throat clenching in a weird way, and his pace fastened, almost running outside the Monastery.

Felix wanted nothing more than to get away from this place.

“Felix! Felix!” He could hear a familiar voice screaming behind him as he turned his head to witness Dimitri running towards his direction. “Wait, please!”

Felix didn’t wait though. He even started walking faster, feeling like taking a run at some point. There was no way he was having a confrontation with Dimitri now, when he felt so pained and vulnerable.

However, the blonde-haired boy did manage to catch up with him at some point, firmly gripping his arm to stop him from further pointless sprinting. Felix’s hands were clenched tightly into fists, and he abruptly shoved his arm, breaking the physical contact between them.

“Just fucking leave me alone,  _ boar _ .” 

Affliction flashed across Dimitri’s face and Felix would have instantly regretted it, has he felt calmer. But right now, he just wanted for Dimitri to feel as pained as he was.

“No, Felix, please.” Tried Dimitri, distress audible in his voice. “We need to talk.”

“No, we fucking don’t. I don’t want to waste my time talking to you, so get the fuck away from me.”

“Just, please, at least listen to me.” It almost sounded as Dimitri was begging him. “It isn’t what you think it is.”

“Oh, it isn’t?” It drove Felix beyond madness, the way Dimitri insinuated that he was the one who didn’t get it. “Tell me, what have you been up to lately, when you weren’t busy lying to us?”

“F-Felix, I sw-”

“I saw you too, meeting.” He didn’t bother hiding the pain and the irritation anymore. “I know you’ve been seeing this fucking-” He abruptly closed his mouth, feeling overwhelmed by his own anger. “So, that’s it. Something goes wrong between us and you start falling for the next guy who  _ courts  _ you.”

“Claude wasn’t courting m-”

“Oh no, sure he wasn’t.” His heart was beating fast, too fast. “Don’t bother hiding it, Dimitri and just be fucking honest for once in your life. You’ve always dreamt of being courted like a fucking maiden, waiting for a grotesque charming prince. Well, guess you finally found it.”

“That’s not wh-”

“I bet he gives you flowers and takes you to nice places.” Felix’s disgust tainted each and every one of his words. “Oh, and he likes dancing, how fortunate for you. Such a perfect man, rea-.”

“FOR GOODNESS'S SAKE, FELIX HUGO FRALDARIUS !” Dimitri screamed in anger, as he suddenly crossed the gap between them, to tightly grasp his shirt with both his hands and forcefully yank him. “Are you going to listen to me at once!?”

Felix’s eyes widened. He certainly wasn’t used to Dimitri raising his voice, let alone coming at him, using his strength to do so. He knew for a fact that Dimitri wasn’t the one to get angry easily, as he hated the way he acted when overwhelmed by his own emotions, already having a hard time keeping them under control. 

The Prince seemed to notice the brutality of his own reaction, a horrified look on his face as he suddenly let go of Felix’s shirt, like the mere touch of it was burning his fingers. Felix could sense culpability rising low in his chest, only imagining how Dimitri would hate himself later for his overreaction. He felt a rush of guilt for pushing the other student so far as feeling things he hated. 

“Can I-” Dimitri eventually spoke again, his sorrowful look meeting Felix’s. “Can you just let me finish one sentence, please? You can go back to insulting me after if that pleases you.”

It wasn’t pleasing for the least, thought Felix, but he didn’t say it aloud. Dimitri took his silence as a silent approval and went on.

“Claude isn’t courting me.” He spoke slowly, not detaching his gaze for Felix’s. “I was the one who came to him for advice. We talked. He agreed to help me.” Dimitri exhaled by the nose. “We’re just friends.” 

“...Why on Earth would you come to  _ him _ for advice?” Felix’s sense had calmed down a bit, listening to Dimitri’s sturdy tone.

“Well,” hesitantly started Dimitri, “I did come to Ingrid first, but she told me that Claude would be better suited for that… kind of advice.”

Felix, slowing putting two and two together, remembered how Ingrid was quick to change topics each time the Blue Lions students were discussing Dimitri’s secret date. 

“And for what kind of advice did you seek the help of the  _ magnanimous _ Claude von Riegan?” 

Dimitri seemed hesitant to answer. No, rather than hesitant, he seemed embarrassed, a blush emerging across his cheeks and he was chewing the inside of his mouth. Felix never had too much patience but begin with, but he tried his best to not show it too much. He felt hurt that Dimitri didn’t come to him for advice, hiding the fact that something had been bothering him lately and not trusting him enough to talk about it.

Then, Felix did understand why Dimitri had turned to Ingrid for advice. He could easily admit that she was way more receptive and helpful than him regarding this stuff.

But Claude? Really? Why not asking Sylvain for advice while they were at it?

“I-I” Ultimately started Dimitri, who was trying to gather all the courage in his body to speak. “I came to him for advice on how to properly court someone. That and...other things.”

Felix’s scowl deepened. Everything was starting to make sense, yet he still didn’t understand. “Why would you seek such advice?” He felt like a fool for asking but, for once, he was the one seeking clear answers and wanting to disperse misunderstandings.

“I-I, ugh.” Dimitri stopped talking and took a moment to use his breathing exercises to calm down. “I wanted to properly court you. I-I just… I like you,” Dimitri took another breath, blush reddening on his cheeks, “I like you a lot Felix, but I feel like I don’t show it enough. And, I don’t know how to properly do that… I just want to… to be worthy.”

Felix opened his mouth. Closed it. Opened it again.  _ Oh _ .

He didn’t know what to say. 

He certainly didn’t expect that. He certainly didn’t expect Dimitri, who was always shy and nervous about showing his emotions to others, to be this blunt. He certainly didn’t expect Dimitri to be this bothered with the current state of their relationship, to a point where he would go see a stranger and ask advice about it.

Felix could only imagine the amount of determination Dimitri had to have to show up in front of Claude and talk about his fears and his feelings.

The blue-haired boy somehow managed to swallow the lump down his dry throat. The mix of feelings and thoughts were messing up his head and he had trouble knowing which attitude to adopt.

“Dimitri, you...don’t need to court me.” Dear goddess, he truly hated to talk about his own feelings. But if Dimitri had gathered the courage to do so, he didn’t have much choice in the matter. “It’s fine as it is.”

“But I do want to court you. I want people to know that I like you, and be able to… do more things with you. Be more intimate.”

Felix wondered if Dimitri was going to pass out from embarrassment because his entire face was as crimson as the Black Eagles House coat of arms.

He was still a little taken aback, and to be honest, perplexed by Dimitri’s outright declaration.

“I don’t think that who you like is anyone’s business to start with.” He folded his arms against his chest, trying to pick the right words with utmost care for once. “I also thought we were beyond  _ courting _ . I mean, last time you, uh,” He stopped talking, feeling the rush of blood on his cheeks. Suddenly, the verdant grass felt light a tremendous sight to look at. “Well, it did feel like _ more _ than courting.”

“Y-Yes, but you didn’t even like it, so I hav-”

“Who said I didn’t like it?” Felix suddenly asked, his scowl deepening. He had promised himself to not cut off Dimitri anymore, but it was too tempting. 

“You stopped me, so I thought…”

“What? No, that’s not-” So that was the problem. Felix took a deep breath, his look eyeing the sky for a few seconds before speaking again. “I liked it. I did. I just want to take it slow.”

“But you were the one asking if I was fine going further…”

“Yes, and we went further, Dimitri!” Felix threw his arms in the air, not believing he had to go through the full explanation. “You fucking put your tongue in my mouth and pinned me to your bed while stripping me of half my  _ shirt _ ! That was already enough for me, I didn’t need you to touch my dick on top of that!”

Felix stopped speaking, slightly panting due to the screaming, and realized what he had just spit out in front of Dimitri, who seemed frankly bewildered. Felix slapped his two hands against his face, in a dull attempt to hide his shame. Honestly, he wanted nothing more than to disappear in the next rabbit role for the five next years.

“ _ Oh _ .” He heard Dimitri make that sound and prayed to the Goddess for something to happen right now so he wouldn’t have to put up with this conversation any further. 

However, he recalled something from their earlier conversation and dared put his hands slightly away from his face to look at Dimitri.

“Tell me you didn’t ask Claude for advice on this.”

It was Dimitri’s turn to open and close his mouth, which was already giving away the answer. 

Felix would never be able to face Claude again.

“Well, ugh, I-I didn’t know... what to do, and he promised me not to tell anyone.”

“Wait, did he show you how to do it!?” Felix squealed, on the verge of strangling himself with his saliva. “Did he make you touch hi-”

“No, no, Felix! Absolutely not!” It was Dimitri’s turn to rub his face with his hand, trying to calm himself. “I cannot believe you’re even asking this...”

“Sorry but I’m not the one who went to Claude von Riegan asking advice on my sex life! How the fuck could he has any knowledge regarding this matter anyway!?”

“From the advice he gave me, he did seem to have experience in this area…”

“Ok, stop.” Felix still couldn’t believe they had come to a point where they were evocating Claude von Riegan’s sex life. It was far too much. “I don’t want to hear about it.”

Dimitri nodded, and a silence took place. It didn’t feel particularly awkward or uncomfortable, but Felix needed time to process everything that had been said. He somehow felt a little stupid for believing for so long that Dimitri and Claude were having… something, whereas Dimitri was just trying to figure out how to please Felix, seemingly both on a romantic and intimate level.

Felix cleared his throat, trying to gather his courage once again. He could feel the beginning of a headache threatening at the back of his skull. “So, I’m guessing that Claude isn’t your date for the ball.”

Dimitri shook his head, an earnest look on his face. “I asked him to help me practice the dance, and he teaches well.” Given Felix’s warning look, Dimitri understood that it was best not to speak too much about Claude. “Felix, I know you don’t enjoy this kind of event but… I was wondering if you were willing to be my date for the Ball?”

Felix quietly sighed, his heart beating faster than he was willing to admit. “You do know dance isn’t my strongest point, don’t you?”

“I am perfectly aware of this fact, Felix.” Dimitri sweetly smiled at him. “I would be more than thrilled to teach you what I learned.”

Felix looked at him for a few seconds, even though he already knew how to answer. “It’d be a shame to miss that, I guess.”

Dimitri offered his most genuine and sweet smile, and Felix’s heartbeat skipped at the sight. Without thinking, he crossed the short gap between them and wrapped his arms around Dimitri’s waist, pulling him into an embrace. He could feel the skin of his face tickle brushing against the blonde strands of hair.

The embrace felt warm and welcoming, Felix did miss it a lot, he realized as he felt Dimitri’s strong arms reciprocate the embrace, the leather of the other’s student arm stroking Felix’s back above his uniform.

He didn’t know what he could have done if he had lost Dimitri to another person. He didn’t know how he could have survived this.

He didn’t intend for the situation to ever happen again.

**Author's Note:**

> Bonus //
> 
> Later that day
> 
> felix: dont wanna bring back the topic but, just to make sure, are you certain that claude aint interested in u  
> dimitri: /laughs/ oh do not worry about that. Im not his favorite blondie.  
> Felix: ???? ok
> 
> claude: /sneezes/ sorry  
> ingrid: are you alright, Claude? You’ve been sneezing quite a lot today  
> claude: yeah im good, dont worry love. Must be a cold, ‘ve been so tired lately due to all the training and studying… and all those duties as an House Leader...  
> ingrid: …  
> claude: …  
> claude: also teaching dimitri how to give a proper handjob proved itself to be exhausting.
> 
> srry
> 
> (kudos and comments are much appreciated if u liked it !!)


End file.
